Dragon Sea Empire

The Yangtze River defense system of the Ming court.After the last Chinese army's anti-sea ban war.It has already disintegrated.The Caojiang navy stationed in Xinjiangkou.And the Lu Bingjiang Defense Battalion at Puzikou on the north bank.There is also the water army of the Eighth Battalion along the river.Its combat effectiveness has long been degraded to be inferior to pirate fishermen.

During the Jiajing period.During the invasion of Japanese pirates, the Yangtze River Defense has been ineffective and doing nothing.The last time the Chinese army broke through Jinling City.The last few ships of the Caojiang Navy were also burned.The Puzikou Jiang Defense Battalion has survived in name only after its collapse.Now the imperial court simply revoked the establishment of these two troops.

During the Jiajing period, it was determined that the civil servant Cao Jiangdu Yushi would coordinate the defense of the Yangtze River.Now this position is concurrently held by Governor Zhou Qiyuan of Susong.Zhou Qiyuan is a member of the Donglin Party.Fujian Haicheng people.His hometown is now occupied by the Chinese army.Most of the territory in Suzhou and Songjiang prefectures and counties was controlled by the Chinese Army.He, the governor of Su Song, was very aggrieved.Can only manage half of the ground in the area under its jurisdiction.so.Zhou Qiyuan believed that he was at odds with the Chinese Army.At the beginning of the second year of Tianqi, he also served as the censor of Jiangdu.It was a lot of hard work.They patrolled the battalions along the river.It was found that the defense of the Yangtze River of the Ming army was empty.The Taiping Battalion, Youbing Battalion and other so-called eight battalions along the river should have more than 5000 sailors and [-] warships on paper.After checking the soldiers and ships, he found that the actual number was less than one-fifth.

At this time, there was a mutiny in northern Zhejiang.The imperial court had no intention of strengthening the Yangtze River Navy.There is no money or manpower to do this.

After the mutiny in northern Zhejiang was suppressed.Zhou Qiyuan kept going to the court to ask for the strengthening of Jiang's defense.It happened that Shang of the Ministry of War and Sun Chengzong of Nanjing Economic Strategy were presiding over the preparations to counterattack Jiangnan.Let Zhou Qiyuan be in charge of coordinating and arranging the assembly of various Yangtze River Navy troops.After Zhou Qiyuan worked hard to assemble most of the naval battalion along the river in Anqing.Chen Daoheng, Minister of the Ministry of War in Nanjing, came to inspect in the name of inspection.With a wave of his big hand, he took over all his powers.He ordered ships from all prefectures and counties along the river to come to Anqing for concentration.

Chen Daoheng is nearly 70 years old.He had just been promoted from Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Industry to Shangshu of the Ministry of War in Nanjing.This old Shangshu is named Mengqi.Nanchang Xinjian.Jinshi in the 14th year of Wanli.The first head of the criminal department.He served successively as a doctor in the Ministry of official affairs in Nanjing.In Tongli, Deng Yizan and Zhong Zhenji were also officials in Nandu.His nickname is "Jiangyou Sanqing". "Clear".The only thing is honesty.Chen Daoheng was killed by his mother.The house was destroyed by fire.Live in other people's houses. "There is no curtain in the poor winter. The wife wears Geshang. The son picks up the leftover salary to keep out the cold. There may be a gift. I refuse to accept it." From Huguang to participate in politics, he moved to Shandong as the inspector and right minister.Turn Fujian to the left.So I don't want to pay for myself.Take the right deputy capital censor admiral Cao Jiang.Guang Zongli.The right servant of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.Governor River.Apocalypse two years.The demon thief Xu Hongru made trouble.Daoheng guards Jining.Straighten the key points.To defend the boat.things are smooth.Increase the salary and give silver coins.

Now the imperial court has assembled a large army around Jinling.Prepare to attack the Jiangnan Chinese Army.The importance of the defense of the Yangtze River is thus highlighted.Chen Daoheng was the censor of Jiangdu.Therefore, Sun Chengzong asked him to go to the Yangtze River Navy to inspect and supervise the preparations for combat.

Chen Daoheng has always prided himself on being strict and self-disciplined, not clique-forming or clinging.And Zhou Qiyuan is a native of Donglin.He also prides himself on being a gentleman.Chen Daoheng is a slender and capable old man.Zhou Qiyuan was dark and short.But these two gentlemen don't know why they look down on each other.As soon as Chen Daoheng arrived in Anqing.Immediately overwhelmed Zhou Qiyuan with his official rank and seniority.He unceremoniously snatched away all the power of Zhou Qiyuan's Jiangdu Censor.In Sun Chengzong's plan.Once the war starts.The commander of the Navy along the river is Zhou Qiyuan.And now.Zhou Qiyuan was helpless.I had no choice but to become Chen Daoheng's subordinate.

The Ming Dynasty still did not change the tradition of "commanding military affairs with literature".In the war, civilian officials are the main commanders.Part of the navy assembled in Anqing was under the command of Jiang Fang Tongzhi Wuping.The mere Jiangfang Tongzhi is the fifth grade and five passes.Mainly in charge of the militia (minzhuang).The rest of Jiujiang Bingbeidao and Yuezhou Bingbeidao were under the command of the imperial envoy of Cao Jiangdu.so.In Anqing Naval Camp.Now Chen Daoheng is the coach.

The river defense troops nominally under the command of Zhou Qiyuan included Taiping Camp, Youbing Camp, Tushan Camp, Xunjiang Camp, Sanjiang Camp, Guazhou Water Camp, Guazhou Land Camp, Yizhen Water Camp, Yizhen Land Camp, Digang Camp, Anqing Battalion, Nanhu Battalion, Luzhou Jiang Fangshao and so on.Including the temporary assembly of people.The naval division of the Ming Army claims to have more than 35000 people and more than a thousand warships.also.Except for the local army in Anqing.Many officers and troops from various walks of life came to assist the Jiangnan counteroffensive one after another.Because Nanjing was besieged.All assembled in Anqing:

Now there are more than ten thousand Fengyang soldiers in Anqing city.It was led by Yang Shuzhong, governor of Fengyang.Stationed in the north of Anqing City.

Zhu Shishou, the right deputy governor of Guangxi, led more than 15000 officers and soldiers from Guangdong and Guangxi to station in the south of Anqing.

Qin Bangping, the governor of the capital of Shijie, commanded more than 15000 people from the Sichuan Army in Chengdu and other places and stationed in the east of the city.They were placed under the command of Yingtian Governor Wang Xiangheng.Yingtian governor Wang Xiangheng, No. Liyu.He has been raising food for the Nanjing garrison in Anqing.After Nanjing became an isolated city.He can't go back to Jinling City.He was temporarily appointed by Chen Daoheng to be the governor of the Sichuan Army.

so.In Anqing, there were a large number of Ming army troops without a clear affiliation relationship and a unified command structure.It seems that the joint camp of the Ming army inside and outside Anqing City is tens of miles away.More than a thousand warships covered the sky and sun on the river, densely packed.The formation is very scary.

October of the 45th year of Wanli.The Chinese fleet moved up the Shuojiang River and approached Anqing.At that time, Zhang Heming, Minister of the Ministry of War, also recruited civilian ships and fishing boats as fire boats.In an attempt to intercept the Chinese fleet.As a result, Anqing fell.But this time Chen Daoheng, Minister of the Ministry of War in Nanjing, repeated his old tricks.Many people are very disapproving.I don't like his plan very much.

Yu Jiang, the prefect of Anqing, and Qi Zhongyue, the general of Anqing, were even more pessimistic.I privately believed that the Ming army would be defeated.Yu Jiang was a supervisor at the Nanjing Cheng Guozi Academy back then.Qi Zhongyue was a subordinate of the former General Anqing who died in the battle.All of them have witnessed the salvo of the battleship Feizi's artillery.

but.There is nothing they can do.Now in Anqing City, there are a bunch of high-ranking officials who are much higher than the two of them.No one listened to their conversation.

not only.In the cold weather of the twelfth lunar month.Anqing General Qi Zhongyue had to serve as a vanguard scout for the Caojiang Navy.Command more than 1000 soldiers in the headquarters to drive more than [-] warships down the river.To investigate the situation of the Chinese fleet.The "warship" they drive is the most common flat-bottomed sand boat in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.Most of them are converted from merchant ships and fishing boats.The firearms they carried.Most of them are small Francophones with a range of about [-] steps, bowl-mouth guns, etc.

There is not a single boat on the usually busy Yangtze River.In addition, there was a heavy snow on both sides of the Yangtze River the day before.Looking up, the sky and the earth are pale.Everything, whether on water or on land, was empty.

After the morning fog was blown away by the river wind.An Qingbing's warships all slowed down.Only half the sail was set.Qi Zhongyue stood on the bow of his boat and looked into the distance.Indistinctly, there is a vague figure swaying on Jiangxinzhou in front of him.

Qi Zhongyue was born in a local military family.The soldiers around are all locals.He turned around and asked the captain of the personal army: "Awu, look at what's going on with Jiang Xinzhou in front."

Ah Wu, who was only seventeen or eighteen years old, agreed.Jump off the bow.He climbed up the mast three times and two times.Not for a while.Ah Wu slid down like a monkey.Hastily said to Qi Zhongyue: "Report to the general. During the patrol the day before yesterday, there was no one on Jiangxinzhou. Now there seem to be many dark shadows on the north shore of the sandbar. If it hadn't just snowed, I still can't see it."

"The river was closed ten days ago. The people have already run away. Even some brave people want to come out to fish. But the boats along the river have been collected by Mr. Chen. How can they go to Jiangxinzhou. Bad. Bad. Hurry up. Turn the boat around and all paddle. Hurry up."

"Is it the pirate navy?" Ah Wu still didn't understand.

Qi Zhongyue patted this guy on the head: "Besides them. Who else will be. Hurry up and get rid of the bow."

The shadows on Jiangxinzhou are two sentinels of the Marine Corps of the Beiyang Fleet of the Chinese Navy and a Liaodong militia unit.They built a temporary pier here.The water conditions ahead are unknown.The river is relatively narrow.Hence the two largest new battleships in the fleet because they each carried 90 cannon.The draft is too deep.It can only anchor temporarily in the middle of the river.therefore.Mai Dahai, Yang Qi, and Chen Zhongji decided after discussion.Set up a temporary running base on Jiangxinzhou.It is used to monitor both sides of the Yangtze River and protect two giant ships.

The other two battleships Feizi.Including Dragon.Each carries 70 cannons.It can barely pass through the Jiangxinzhou waterway.

The flagship Flying Dragon is still north of Jiangxinzhou.The lookout on the mainmast sent a signal.Notify that there are enemy ships on the river ahead.soon.A lookout shivering with cold came to Mai Dahai.The report said: "Report, report to the commander-in-chief. In front, five miles away. At the southern end of Jiangxinzhou. There are 21 ships of the Ming army. They are under the banner of Anqing General."

Mai Dahai, Yang Qi, and Chen Zhongji were all holding binoculars at the bow to observe the front.All three were wrapped in tight fur coats.Keep stomping.They no longer cared about their image.

Mai Dahai turned his head and said: "This brother. You have worked hard. Go down and rest. Drink hot ginger soup to drive away the cold..."

Chen Zhongji steamed on his hands: "In the past, Jiangnan has never been so cold. This winter is very cold."

Yang Qi murmured: "The winter of Zhiniang's thief. You have never stayed in Liaodong. That's called cold. It's freezing cold. You can even pee in a latrine. This can be said. ice."

Mai Dahai smiled and said: "It seems that Admiral Anqing's boat is already planning to turn around and escape. How about it? Do you want to send a boat to chase it?"

He is the oldest of the three.Seniority is also the oldest.The first batch of sailors of the Chinese Navy Navy.It was he who helped Yin Feng recruit him at the earliest.Yang Qi thought for a while and thought: "Forget it. Let them report the letter."

Mai Dahai nodded: "I think so too: I haven't encountered any major battles along the way. Finally, the Ming army navy gathered in Anqing. Let them gather together. We are going to have a decisive battle. We will solve them all at once."

Chen Zhongji does not participate in the specific combat command.So he said: "In this case, then I will go to prepare. It will take half a day for the logistics munitions fleet to arrive here. I will go and supervise it. Or else. Just distribute the ammunition here."

Mai Dahai nodded: "The orderly. Send a signal to the entire fleet: everyone rests for half a day. Replenish ammunition and ammunition. Check the fireproof boat poles. After half a day, we will march into Anqing."